


all for you

by junesuns



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28650429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junesuns/pseuds/junesuns
Summary: Seven days to break a curse and win his best friend's heart - can Jisung do it?
Relationships: Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Kudos: 12
Collections: NCTV Secret Santa 2020





	all for you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cosmicdusts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicdusts/gifts).



> To my prompter: This is inexcusably late but Merry Christmas/Happy New Year! this is a skeleton of the story I'd planned and I had ten breakdowns while writing this so,,, this is not my best work. But you can contact me anytime on dms for a full version of what I'd planned!
> 
> To the mods: Thank you for you kindness in organizing this fest and your infinite patience.

The incoherent din coming from the ballroom was the only thing Chenle and Jisung could hear as they headed to Chenle’s room as fast as they could. None of them spoke until they’d reached their destination and the silencing spells muffled the noise from outside.

“I think there’s going to be a riot now,” Chenle mused, sitting at the edge of his bed as Jisung sat down on an armchair by the fireplace. “I really didn’t think that they’d overreact to this extent.”

Jisung sighed. “You should have expected it. What made you think that choosing me as a candidate would be a good idea? I’m a human, I’m sure that all the other candidates are going to feel insulted because of this. It’s going to lead to more trouble for you and your family.”

“You need to calm down.” Chenle tugged off his coat and threw it over a nearby chair before sitting down to take off his gloves and shoes. “Most of them are too greedy for my hand at marriage and a share of my family’s fortunes to pass up on a chance to court me. Even if they are racist bigots.”

“That’s true, but- what made you pick me?”

_ Because I love you. Because this could be a chance for me to hear the words I’ve always yearned to hear, even if it leads to my death. _

“Because I missed you, and then I suddenly saw you there. You’ve been gone for so long, couldn’t you have sent me letters sometimes?” He knew that Jisung would’ve been busy, searching for a way to reverse Chenle’s curse but the long silence from him had worried and hurt Chenle in equal measure. 

“Now, tell me about your travels.”

* * *

Jisung hadn’t been able to find anything, and saying that aloud seemed to crush him a little.

“It’s alright,” Chenle said blithely. He’d joined Jisung at the fireplace and now he leaned across to clasp his hand for a moment. “I’m still here, aren’t I? We have time. And if the Fates say that my time’s up, then I’ll die.” 

“Don’t speak like that,” Jisung said sharply. “Of course we’ll find a way to reverse the curse. You don’t need to talk about—”   
  


“What, dying? But everyone knows that’s the most likely outcome.” Silenced by the vehemence of Chenle’s outburst, Jisung watched him fling himself out of his chair and pace across the room. “The only way to break this curse on me is if someone falls in love with me for who I am, and confesses to me within seven days. If this doesn’t happen within my twentieth birthday, I’ll die! And that’s two weeks away! It’s too late and–” He suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground. 

“Chenle!” Jisung hurried over to pick him up, and helped him get to the bed. “Are you alright now?”

“Yes, it was just a momentary spell of dizziness,” Chenle muttered, blinking rapidly. “The party wore me out more than I’d expected.”

“You should go to sleep,” Jisung said, overriding Chenle’s protests as he chivvied him into changing into his night clothes and going to bed. He drew up the blanket before watching Chenle sleep for a while. A lot of things had changed, more than Jisung had imagined. 

* * *

_ Did you hear? The Young Master of the Zhong family chose a human in his latest attempt to break his curse! It's probably his last chance too, since if this doesn't work- _

_ He'll have run out of time.  _

Chenle was well aware of that. He had known for a very long time that there was no hope for him unless a miracle occurred and he fell in love with one of his many, many suitors. But what he had not told anyone was that if the curse had to be broken, the suitor had to sincerely be in love with Chenle as well.

So many people had taken a chance to break his curse but none of them had succeeded. Didn’t that mean something? 

* * *

It felt nice to go around the manor with Jisung by his side, just like the old days. Three days had passed as they seamlessly fell into their old routine - the only difference now was that instead of spending the day in various lessons, they spent the day in the library, poring through books. The fourth day began in a similar fashion, with Jisung greeting Chenle outside his rooms before they headed for breakfast. Chenle greeted Jisung with his customary good cheer and closed in for a hug before he suddenly stepped back.

“What, do I smell or something?” Jisung joked while Chenle surveyed him with a frown on his face.

“No, it’s not that,” Chenle replied absently. “It’s- Jisung, are you carrying iron on you?”

“Not right now, I had some rings and a dagger on me the night I came back. How’d you notice it?

Chenle stared at him for a moment. 

“Let’s go to the library first. We’ll be safe from prying ears there.” he stated down the corridor before Jisung stopped him and gently tugged him towards the dining room. 

“... Ah.”

Chenle waited until they were safely ensconced in the library before rounding on Jisung.

“You do realize that if anyone else had realized, you’d have been brought up on trial? Did you forget that iron hurts us? You’d have been arrested, charged with attempted assassination and then executed! Are you stupid?”

“I spent a lot of time in the borderlands when I was in the human realm,” Jisung began. “A lot of people there, especially in the smaller towns, are superstitious and scared of the fae. It’s a common practice there to have something made of iron on you at all times, as they believe that it wards them from getting bewitched by the fae. It would have been suspicious if I hadn’t had any iron weapons and I got into trouble because of that too, which is why I had to keep them with me. Later, a wizard whom I helped with a job cast an enchantment on me which ensured that any fae I had to deal with in the human realm wouldn’t be able to sense the weapons on me.”

“Isn’t that deceitful?”

“It was necessary,” Jisung countered. “And there wasn’t anything else I could do. If I had any other choice, I’d have taken it. But you know how mistrustful your brethren are.”

Chenle scowled but didn’t protest. There’d been numerous incidents in their childhood when Chenle had had to chase off his peers who had attempted to bully Jisung. This was before Jisung learnt how to defend himself with weapons and a biting wit.

“Where are they now?” Chenle asked after a while. 

“My room. I don’t need them when I’m here, do I?”

That made Chenle relax. “Make sure that no one else sees it.”

“Of course.”

* * *

Chenle falls ill the next day. He’d known that the end was near, but he hadn’t expected to come so  _ soon _ .

It’s terrifying, the way the fever seems to consume him until it fills his existence. The only thing anchoring him is Jisung’s grip on his hands. The fever makes him delirious, and he inadvertently tells Jisung about his diary.

The one book in the whole world which would tell him the truth. 

“You love me?” Jisung says. 

How was he so oblivious? “Of course. I always have.”

Even if he dies, at least he’s said it. 

“You idiot. I love you too.”

* * *

And that is how the story ends for our lovers. Chenle’s curse is broken and now the two of them have a hopeful future ahead of them, filled with adventures and happiness.


End file.
